Following Zoom’s announcement of its new dedicated device for videoconferencing, David Bicknell, Principal Analyst, Thematic Research at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work and many people would like to make that change permanent. In a recent GlobalData survey, nearly a quarter of respondents said they did not want to return to the office after the COVID-19 crisis.

“Zoom’s new all-in-one communications appliance is aimed specifically at those employees that struggle to set up the necessary equipment and will make it easier to take part in video meetings. However, the product’s popularity may be held back by the price tag. At $600, it is more than double the price of similar consumer solutions including the Amazon Echo Show, Facebook Portal and Google Nest Hub Max.

“Another issue is whether employees will be happy to have more dedicated work communications equipment taking up space in their home. Studies have shown that remote employees work nearly one and a half more days a month than their office-based counterparts, resulting in more than three extra weeks of work a year. A dedicated videoconferencing device might be an unwelcome reminder for some that they’re already working far too much.”